Caloundra Triathlon preview

Got the need for speed? Caloundra's sprint triathlon is held every February and is set over a flat course and is staged traditionally in warm conditions.

The race is part of the Gatorade Queensland Tri Series (QTS) and is based from Woorim Park at Golden Beach.
Golden Beach is a blend of old and new, with many of the original weekender shacks sprinkled among chic new homes and apartments.

It provides a brilliant backdrop for the main sprint race which covers a 400m swim, 15km cycle and 4km run. An enticer event is also held, which is run over the shorter 200m swim, 5km cycle and 2km run distance.
The kids triathlon includes a 100m swim, 2km cycle and 400m run.

Combing the three distances makes Caloundra's event a great family day and the youngsters provide some brilliant entertainment.

Registration and bike racking is available on the Saturday afternoon, but can be done on Sunday morning. Being a USM event, there usually isn't any organisational issues and there are no major hold-ups with the Sunday check-in.
For those in the main event it can be a long wait between racking your bike, preparing and wave start. Transition opens at 5.15am but the QTS doesn't get under way until after 7am, so if you are among the last wave starts it can be more than three hours in between.

The swim
Staged in the sheltered Pumicestone Passage waters, it's only a short walk from transition to the start for those in the kids event or the enticer. Over those distances the course is a short loop out and back, with the start and finish of the swim not far from transition.

Those in the QTS race have to walk south from transition on the footpath in parallel with Lamerough Pde. The 400m journey begins in a canal section which then leads to the more open section of the passage.

A sweeping left hand loop, the swim can be a challenge depending on tidal and current flow. It's frenetic at the front, those who are not the strongest of swimmers should start at the back.

The bike
Flat as a pancake with some tight turns, the cycle course is fast and provides an opportunity for riders to get into a rhythm with some good straight sections along Landsborough Pde.

Each loop is five kilometres, so the enticer athletes make the journey once while the QTS competitors head around three times. When looping back toward transition it's important to keep an eye on other competitors who are joining the course and having difficulty with shoes or pedals.

The turnaround point near Oxley St is tight and riders need to maintain concentration to keep their right hand side pedals at the highest point when steering into the bend.

The run
Scenic and flat, an out and back run course follows the waterline toward Caloundra.

It can be hot and humid so it's worthwhile taking on water wherever possible.

There is plenty of space for competitors who head out on the road before joining the footpath. On the return journey runners wind their way along the footpath, and once the boardwalk is reached the finish is within reach.
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